Paul Summergrad, M.D., President-Elect of American Psychiatric Association to Speak at Jefferson

(PHILADELPHIA) – Paul Summergrad, M.D., Chair of the Psychiatry Department of Tufts University, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Tufts Medical Center, and President-Elect of the American Psychiatric Association has been selected to be the 2014 Albert M. Biele, M.D. Visiting Professor in Psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Summergrad’s Biele Grand Rounds lecture, entitled “Psychiatry and Healthcare Reform,” will be held on February 12 at 11 a.m., at 1020 Sansom Street in the DePalma Auditorium.

Dr. Summergrad’s work explores the interaction between physical health and mental health, and ways in which psychiatrists can work with internists. He is also in the forefront of the effort to achieve parity for psychiatric care—something that is changing under the federal Affordable Care Act (A.C.A.).

The A.C.A. is rapidly expanding mental health and substance use disorder coverage. Beginning this year, many insurance plans will be required to include mental health and substance use disorder services, and will be required to cover them at parity with medical and surgical benefits.

Michael Vergare, M.D., Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson; said, “Dr. Summergrad is imagining the future of psychiatry—to the benefit of patients.”

Dr. Karl Doghramji, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson and Medical Director of the Jefferson Sleep Center said, “Psychiatrists and physicians representing other specialties have historically practiced in separate silos when managing psychiatric patients with medical comorbidities. However, Dr. Summergrad’s concepts of integration of care may eventually lead to the development of treatment teams that include psychiatrists and other disciplines.”

Dr. Doghramji and Dr. Vergare will be presiding over the Grand Rounds.